Have you had your daily dose of cuteness yet? This precious video of a baby pika squeaking in the wild is sure to make you day 100% better. You’d think that an animal this tiny would make the smallest, most adorable sound in the world, right? Well, they do!
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This sweet, viral video has everyone falling in love with the baby pika, despite the fact that many users have no idea what they’re looking at. One commenter hilariously referred to the animal as a “lil floof potato,” which is pretty darn accurate. However, it turns out that there’s way more to these minuscule, mouse-like critters than meets the eye!
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the American pika is built for survival. These creatures thrive in arid, mountainous areas where other animals cannot. They mostly feed off grass and wildflowers, which they dry out and store in anticipation of winter. Although they might look like rodents, they’re actually lagomorphs. That means they’re closer in kinship to rabbits than rats!
As you may have guessed from this sweet video of a baby pika, these little guys are pretty vocal. Even as adults, they cry out often and for a variety of reasons. For example, they might call to other pikas in order to warn them about something. They might also make some noise when they spot a potential mate!
Here’s what an adult pika sounds like.
Unfortunately, the National Wildlife Federation tells us that these sweet creatures are in danger of being wiped out due to climate change. Since they’re used to their mountaintop homes being extremely cold, increasing temperatures can actually be fatal. A comfortable summer day for a human could be deadly to a pika!
If you want to help save the American pika, the Oregan Zoo suggests some simple actions you can take. Obviously, though, the best thing we can do for these adorable animals is to save the planet, which is already in our best interests!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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